Auxiliary wing and wheel retracting mechanism for airplanes



July 18, 1944.

J. L. HAJEK, JR

AUXILIARY WING AND WHEEL RETRACTING MECHANISM FOR AIRPLANES Fil ed April 8, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor July 18, 1944. J HAJEK, JR 2,354,116

AUXILIARY WING AND WHEEL RETRACTiNG MECHANISM FOR AIRPLANES Filed April 8, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q i Q Q \M f i k a) 2 3 I Y z m j 1 D Inventor 1 MM fi fq ysa July 18, 1944. H JR 2,354,116

AUXILIARY WING AND WHEEL RETRACTING MECHANISM FOR AIRPLANES Filed April 8, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor Jmesl. Ha, 897a, Jr

I QM My I WM 1?. mi

y 1944. J. 1.. HAJEK, JR

AUXILIARY WING AND WHEEL RETRACTING MECHANISM FOR AIRPLANES Filed April 8, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor mounting for the wheel Patented July 18, 1944 AUxnsAaY WING AND WHEEL RETRACT- ING MECHANISM FOR AIRPLANES James Laddie Hajek, Jr., Cleveland, Ohio Application April 8, 1942, Serial No. 438,176

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a new and usein] improvement in airplane construction and has for its primary object to provide an auxiliary wing adapted to be utilized to provide an increased wing area for the machine while the same is landing and taking off and also to provide means for attaching a pair of retractable wheels to the auxiliary wing for movement of the wing and the wheel into retracted position, as a unit, when the airplane is in flight.

A further object is to provide an auxiliary wing and wheel retracting mechanism of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eiiicient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install in operative position. and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of v an airplane fuselage with the main wing shown in section and with the auxiliary wing and wheel shown in projected position.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the auxiliary wing and wheel in retracted position. I

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on aline 1-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view, with vparts broken hway and shown in section, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the pivotal prop at the outer end of the auxiliary wing.

Referring now to thedrawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral I designates the fuselage of an airplane from the opposite sides of which adjacent its lower portion, the main wing I projects. Mounted in the leading edge of the wing at opposite sides of the fuselage are a pair of motor nacelles I, the rear ends of which merge with the wings and are provided with an internal fire wall 8.

The underside of the wing I. in the region of the nacelles I. is formed with a recess 9, a pivot pin It extending transversely of the recess adjacent the leading edge of the wing and to which is pivotally attached the upper end of a wheel strut H having the wheel I! journaled on its lower end by means of a conventional form of mounting IS. The lower end ofthe strut II is of telescopic construction and includes a tubular sleeve I to which a conventional form of shockabsorbing mechanism it is attached to the mount- 1 18.

Projecting laterally from the 'inner side of the sleeve i4 is a spindle ll having its end secured in an adjacent end of an auxiliary wing IT by means of a nut i8, access to the nut being aflorded through an opening I! in the bottom of the wing. A ball-bearing assembly 20 is provided for the spindle It mounted in a housing 2| on the outer end of the auxiliary wing to facilitate pivotal movement of the spindle relative to the auxiliary wing.

A pair oi the wheel struts i i is provided, one immediately behind each of the motor nacelles I and the auxiliary wing ll extends between the struts with the ends of the wings attached thereto, as will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 3 of the drawings.

The underside of the main wing 8, adjacent its trailing edge, is provided with a recess 22 adapted to conformably receive the auxiliary wing I! for moving the latter into a retracted position together with the wheel struts H and wheels I2. The main" wings O are also provided with openlugs 24 extending entirely therethrough to accommodate the wheels I: so that a portion of the wheel will project through the upper surface of the wings I when the wheels are in their retracted position, as shown to advantage in Figure 2 of the drawings.

A bellcrank lever, indicated generally at 25, is provided with a short leg 2. and a long leg 21, the short leg being pivoted on the pivot member l0 and the long leg 21 being pivoted as at 28 to a clamp 20 secured to the strut ii below its pivoted end. The .bellcrank lever is of substantial V-iorm and the converging ends of the legs 26 and 21 are pivoted as at 30 to the outer end of a piston rod 3| projecting into a cylinder 32 within which the piston rod is connected to the usual piston (not shown) working in the cylinder. The front end of the cylinder is pivoted as at 33 to a bracket 34 secured to th ilre wall 8 of the motor nacelle. Compressed air pipes 35 and 36 are connected to the respective ends of the cylinder for actuating the piston therein whereby to retract and project the struts ii and wheels I2.

A lever 31 is pivotally attached at one end as at ll to an intermediate portion of the auxiliary wing ll, adjacent its rear end, the other end of the lever being pivoted, as at 39, at a point within the fuselage I and also pivotally attached to the pivot 39 is th short leg lo 01' a 5 u i ry w ns nd, Whee mar-the msavedxinm V-shaped bellcrank lever 4|. The long leg 42 of the bellcrank lever is pivoted as at ll to an intermediate portion of the lever 31. To the converging ends of the legs 40 and 42 of the bellcrank lever is pivoted the outer end 01' a piston rod 44 which projects into a cylinder 45 having a piston (not shown) also working therein and actuated by means of the compressed air connections I! and I] communicating with the opposite ends of the cylinder.-l; The irojntle q'pi xthe oylinder 4 is pivoted as at ll to a bracket ll secured on a partition 50 within the fuselage.

Accordingly, through the utilization of pressed air from a suitable'source otxpowenicon nected to the cylinders 32 and JI, the str-uts H and lever 31 may be actuated to move the auxiliary wing l1 into and out of retracted'position' in the recess 22 at the underside of the rnain; wing I and at the same time the wheels vl i willalso be moved into and out of retracted position."

- When the airplane is ready tq ltake of or; land,

the auxiliary wing L varid-the wheels; I 2 are a in their projected positions and the-auxiliary wing is thus utilized to increase the wing area toifacilistate the ascent and descent; of; .the airplane. whiter the machine .beeomesgmaintained in flight, .the

their retracted positions to reduce wind resistance.

It is believed the details of construction, operation and advantages of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

a ,.t An airplane comprising a, main wing having a n recess init's undersidg a pair 1 landing wheel struts pivoted at their upper ends to said main v wing, said struts having wheels journaled at their lower ends and said struts and wheels being movable 'into andfiout of retracted position in said -"r" e :ess, tuli 'shafts projecting laterally from the stlil l 1 tachin the ends of the auxiliary wing to the auxiliary wing, means pivotally atrespective -stubgshafts of the struts, a strut pivotally connecting the auxiliary wing to the main w'ingfbellctank levers each having an end pivoted vinto the main.-.wing. atithe-irespective pivots-ior the wheels: and wing struts and another end pivoted i to @the; respective", struts intermediate their ends, and actuating smeansiifor ithe,v levers-adapted to move the'wheelstruts fl-IldvthGgflllXllli-I'Y wing. into ;T andioutr oi, retractediposition inithe recess.

JAMES LMHAJEK. Jl: 

